Analysis of the Mayan Symbol of Hunab Ku
The Hunab Ku is an ancient symbol full of mysteries.
In reality, even the most erudite historians are not sure they can disentangle the truth from the falsehood about him. However, that doesn't scare us...
Together we are going to take an interest in the information we have on this Mayan lucky symbol to learn everything we can about it!
Between a simple (but mysterious) meaning and equally murky origins, the symbol of Hunab Ku should certainly tickle your curiosity.
Contents :
Hunab Ku is therefore above all a divinity
The Hunab Ku, a Mayan symbol…
The Mayans did not have a written language as we think of it.
In fact, they used symbols and drawings which, when put together, could form more complex ideas. Many common points can, for example, be found with Egyptian hieroglyphs. If you are interested in this culture and its symbols, you should appreciate our collection of lucky charms dedicated to the Mayans.
In short, certain theories present the Hunab Ku to us as one of these symbols. It would then serve in this context to represent the “one God”, the “superior divine”.
Unlike other regions of the world, this concept was very little used in America at the time. Indeed, historians know with certainty that Mesoamerican peoples (like the Aztecs or the Olmecs) were polytheists and believed in a world where thousands of deities coexisted in a certain balance. (To learn more, here is the Wikipedia page dedicated to Mayan mythology.)
In any case, this idea of a single God was foreign to them, to say the least. This historical fact makes it possible in particular to justify a rather disturbing thing about the Hunab Ku: archaeologists have found very few traces of this lucky symbol before the Spanish conquest of the 16th century.
On the other hand, after their arrival in America, we can find thousands of ceramics, paintings, sculptures and engravings produced by the descendants of the Maya, including the Hunab Ku...
…or maybe Christian!?
Some therefore associate the Hunab Ku with the Mayans, the Aztecs or even the ancient Toltecs, while others will see it rather as the fruit of the encounter between the Christianity of the Spanish conquistadors and the polytheistic cults of Central America.
This second theory may seem surprising.
In reality, it is based on a very serious observation: the traces of Hunab Ku are found in much greater quantities after the arrival of the Spaniards on the territory of Mexico.
In this regard, we can cite the books of “Chilam Balam” or the famous “Diccionario de Motul” where Hunab Ku is mentioned several times.
In these works, our Mayan symbol is mainly used to designate a kind of unique God, a superior sacred force which would be of a nature and importance far greater than those of the ancient deities worshiped in the region.
The very name of Hunab Ku supports this idea : its translation into the Mayan language actually gives something like “A perfect God”.
Thus, it may well be that this symbol finds part of its roots in the Christian religion. Some even claim that it was the missionaries themselves who created it to help convert local populations by accustoming them to the notion of a single God.
So, Mayan symbol of an ancient god or Catholic creation?
The origin of Hunab Ku is clear.
Hunab ku is therefore above all a divinity
We have already told you: Hunab Ku is an expression of Mayan origin referring to a kind of unique and superior god, Hunab meaning “he who is” and Ku “god”.
Some missionaries therefore associated this Hunab Ku with the unique God worshiped by Christians. However, some historians like to point out that, even if common points exist, the divinity we are talking about has its own character. We are indeed talking here about the supreme Mayan god, the one who governs all the other entities of the pantheon.
To tell you the truth, it's quite difficult to find out more about him. There are virtually no written traces (perhaps they were destroyed by missionaries and other European settlers). The only elements that we know about Hunab Ku as a god have therefore reached us via a thousand-year-old oral transmission.
This, added to the numerous steles, paintings and pottery found, allows us to affirm that it was a very powerful and very important deity in the Mayan religion. Tracks also indicate a link with the "great feathered serpent" (another character from Mayan culture), the zodiac or astronomy. However, these ideas are still debated.
What are the meaning and powers of Hunab Ku as a symbol?
It is not only the origin of Hunab Ku that is murky: its meaning also raises questions.
Here again, there are several opinions, each equally valid.
We can cite these in particular:
- Hunab Ku would have the ability to manipulate the energies emitted by the one God. If we talk about the principle that he is the Creator of everything, then this symbol gives access to great powers.
- Some see it more as a reminder of the mission given to us: to care for the world and creation.
- There is also a theory that presents it to us as a sign of the unity that exists between all that was created by the Supreme God.
- This Mayan lucky charm is seen by others as a symbol of balance and harmony specific to the universe. Carrying it on us would therefore serve to balance and stabilize us.
In any case, it clearly appears that carrying the Hunab Ku on you can be a (very) good idea.
If this speaks to you, here is a necklace that should please you !
Hunab Ku and the New Age movement
The symbol that interested us today therefore very clearly has a deep meaning.
Whether it was actually used by the Mayans or whether it is a more recent invention, we can still learn some lessons from it. Many in fact wear the Hunab Ku (in their jewelry or their clothing for example) as the emblem of a God common to all humanity, of great strength who would unite all men on Earth.
This idea of unity behind a symbol has notably been taken up by certain New Age movements. Others preferred to see through the unique God of Hunab Ku an expression of the Freemason concept of the great architect of the universe.
In any case, the followers of these movements will at least have had the merit of bringing the Hunab Ku up to date and bringing this once forgotten lucky motif out of the shadows.
Lucky charm featured in this article
Mayan Amulet of Hunab Ku
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